😨What’s scarier than a haunted house?

Welcome to November! We’re taking a deep breath after a pretty eventful day for us and our friends at CIC Miami, the coworking space where we operate.

A suspicious package was sent to the Miami-Dade Democrats, who have an office at CIC. and the space was evacuated. Miami police and a bomb squad investigated, and fortunately the package was just a box of bumper stickers. We’re so glad it wasn’t more serious, and things were back to normal by the afternoon. Thanks to the police and the CIC Miami staff for keeping everyone safe.

Now, let’s get back to helping you #livelikeyoulivehere by giving you the breakdown on a cool event coming up later this month.

What the Gold Dust Motel looked like back in the '70s.

(📸: Bob East/Miami Herald Archives)

HOTEL, MIAMI MOTEL, HOLIDAY INN

The year is 1957. Elvis Presley is dominating the jukebox. Eisenhower is President. And you have just been invited to a tiki party to celebrate the grand opening of the Gold Dust Motel on Biscayne Boulevard.

The party is part improv show, part concert, part choose-your-own adventure, and wholly immersive… a real-time theatre experience called Miami Motel Stories is set to take over the MiMo District from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23. And instead of sitting in a chair as a passive audience member, you’re a fly on the wall of a very different kind of performance by the Juggerknot Theatre Company.

The baseline ticket: It gets you access to the first floor and will cost you $45: You’ll mingle with other motel guests at the grand opening tiki party, have a coffee in the retro diner, learn to fish by the river and – if you’re discreet – maybe even meet the neighborhood bookie.

The next level: These tickets will run you $65 but will give you access to the first and second floor. When you purchase your ticket, you’ll pick one of three different key options pink, blue or yellow, and each unlocks different experiences told in sets of three decades of motel rooms. Among the characters you may meet a— Playboy Bunny who worked across the street at the Playboy Club in 1964, a gritty young hustler from 1995, or a 1950s couple on their first road trip to the Magic City.

The top shelf: For $75, you get full access and a free beverage. This ticket is only available for the last show on Friday and Saturday nights. It includes everything at the $65 level plus a complimentary Chivas Regal cocktail and live music after the show.

Don’t wait until the last minute to make plans for this one. Tickets sold out quick last year. So put on your tiki party best, because you never know who you’re gonna meet.

Refer your friends

STRONG FEELINGS

One of the more controversial items for City of Miami voters is all about whether Mayor Francis Suarez will become a strong mayor. But what exactly does that mean and how will it be different? We’ve got a breakdown to help y’all out:

FIRST OFF, LET’S EXPLAIN MIAMI’S CURRENT SYSTEM: Miami operates under a manager-commission form of government. Basically, the city manager is the boss of the city’s day-to-day operations. Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez oversees employees, the city’s budget, negotiating major contracts and land deals, and hiring and firing major positions. Commissioners vote on legislation, and the mayor is more of a figurehead. He doesn’t vote on anything, but he does have veto power.

WHAT CHANGES WITH A STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM: The mayor will become the chief administrator for the city instead of the city manager. Suarez and future mayors would run the city’s budget, oversee major hires, and handle day-to-day matters, while still doing those ceremonial gigs that come with the job.

I’M CONFUSED. GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE. The major local example of a strong mayor is Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Some of his duties include overseeing the county’s budget, and proposing major legislation for the county commission to consider.

SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS… A switch to strong mayor would give Suarez, and future Miami mayors, much more power to run the city. And the change would be effective immediately if it’s approved on Election Day.

Head over to our voter guide for more info on this decision and the two other referenda on the ballot for City of Miami residents.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE 305

Too hot to work. The summer heat in Florida is rough on just about everyone, but for workers who spend the majority of their time outdoors — like construction workers and farmers — the temperatures were actually too hot at times this year to do their work safely. A report from the Farmworker Association of Florida and the advocacy group Public Citizen shows that Florida has one of the nation’s highest rates of heat-related hospital trips and more than half of 300 laborers surveyed didn’t get any breaks in the shade. As climate change continues to increase temperatures, advocacy groups worry that things will get worse for outdoor workers. (Miami Herald)

In related news. In an effort to offset rising temperatures and climate change in Miami, some locals have created a new farming concept that uses hydroponics and shipping containers to grow about an acre’s worth of crops in a much smaller space. Box Greens is launching in December and they hope to place their containers at schools to teach the process to students and at restaurants to help them grow fresh produce. (Miami New Times)

Scarier than a haunted house. There were plenty of spooky events and parties across the city yesterday, but about 300 schools dealt with one of the scariest situations we can imagine – no internet access. A construction crew accidentally cut a cable that feeds to the Miami Dade school district’s main data center. The issue also affected a few other non-school customers and the district said they expect everything to be back to normal today. (Miami Herald)

Don’t call it a comeback. After some confusion over the status of the Winter Music Conference earlier this year, organizers have made it clear that 2019 is a go. The conference for music fans and industry folks will return from March 25 to 28 at the Faena Forum in Mid-Beach. And the lineup is split between what organizers are calling Industry, for folks looking to network in the music business, and Access, for fans and people just breaking into the scene. (Miami New Times)

Stealing our sunshine. Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday across the U.S. — and for now, that includes Florida as well. The Florida Legislature voted earlier this year to adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time, but the law still requires federal approval from Congress, which introduced the bill but has yet to vote on it. (Palm Beach Post)

Our Partner Events

🧘Through Sunday, Nov. 11: Check out the Cushion Crawl challenge (it’s like a Pub Crawl, but for 21 days of Mindfulness) (Multiple Locations)

🗳️ Tomorrow: Join the voting celebration, it’s a matter of life or muerte (Downtown)

🌱Wednesday, Nov. 7 – 11: Eat, drink, and live well at the Seed Food and Wine Festival. – Use code NEWTROPIC10 for 10% off tickets. (Multiple locations)

🎵Thursday, Nov. 8: Celebrate and empower women through music at Femme Fest (Wynwood)

Going to one of these? Take us with you! Email a pic to [email protected] or tag @thenewtropic on Instagram. See more upcoming events on our events page, and add your own events with a New Tropic membership.

THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY.

We’ll catch you mañana, Miami.

– The New Tropic

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